(Youth1) - On Monday, July 7, 2012, Major League Baseball held its annual All-Star Break, separating the season and giving major league players the opportunity to take a couple of days off from the rigorous baseball season. In addition to the All-Star Game held at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Kansas, the stadium will also host various All-Star Break events and exhibitions, including the Future Stars game and the Home Run Derby.

Another unique even, the Pitch, Hit, and Run competition, featured some of the best youth baseball and softball players in the country. Over 650,000 kids from around the nation competed to earn a coveted spot at the All-Star Game, and only 24 players made the trip to the finals in Kansas City. The finalists, separated by male and female into four different age groups, included eight-year-old Michael “Mikey” Easter from Arcadia, CA.

Easter, a standout player for the Minors Angels team in the Arcadia American Little League, as well as his travel team the So Cal Bombers, won the local event in May to earn a spot in the sectionals in June. He once again came out victorious, and Easter qualified for the team championship portion at Angels Stadium in Anaheim, CA, home of the Los Angeles Angels. His scores at the team championship event were compared to 90 other competitors in the nation in his age group and, on June 24th, Easter’s name was announced on MLB.com as one of three finalists in the 7 & 8 age group.

In addition to the competition, Easter had the privelage of joining other competitors on the field during the Home Run Derby, getting a chance to field balls on national television and also got to spend time with the big league players during the All-Star Game. The opportunity was a dream come true for Mikey, who is a big-time Yankees fan. Prior to flying to Kansas City for All-Star Weekend, Mikey was with his grandfather at The Baseball Legends Independence Day Blast, helping his So Cal Bombers team compete against some of California's best. His grandfather, who helped him with his training, mentioned he was particularly excited to meet Derek Jeter, Robinson Cano, and Curtis Granderson. Though he did not win the competition, the experience itself was certainly rewarding and you can definitely call Easter an All-Star in his own right.

Written by: Tyler Kies

Sports Manager: Matthew Carl This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it